Assembly wants reform of electoral systems

The London Assembly is elected through a mixed electoral system designed to deliver greater proportionality and ensure a broader range of political voices are represented.

We believe legislation should be brought forward that enables proportional representation for local authority elections in London and across England.

The Assembly has today called for the Mayor of London to support reform of local government electoral systems towards a proportional model.

Gareth Roberts AM, who proposed the motion, said:

“London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and our local democracy should reflect that. First Past the Post leaves too many voters unheard and too many communities under-represented.”

“If we want to fix the country - from the NHS and housing to the economy and local services - we need a political system that works properly: one that rewards collaboration, long-term thinking and genuine accountability.”

“That is why we are calling on the Mayor of London to back proportional representation for local elections, and for the Government to give Londoners and communities across England the fair votes they deserve.”

The full text of the motion is:

“This Assembly notes that:

1. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world politically, socially and culturally, and its democratic institutions should reflect that diversity.
2. Local government elections in London continue to operate under a first-past-the-post system which can produce highly disproportionate outcomes and "winner takes all" results. Large numbers of voters can find themselves under-represented or entirely unrepresented despite substantial support for parties and candidates.
3. The London Assembly itself is elected through a mixed system designed to deliver greater proportionality and ensure a broader range of political voices are represented.
4. The recent local election results in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames saw a single party win every council seat despite not receiving every vote cast - an outcome which illustrates how first-past-the-post can translate plural voter preferences into total control by one party.
5. Whatever party benefits from such an outcome, the broader democratic point remains the same: if one party winning every seat with less than every vote appears acceptable only when it is politically convenient, then the electoral system deserves a closer look.

This Assembly believes that:

1. Democracy functions best when elected bodies broadly reflect the choices made by voters.
2. Proportional representation would create stronger local democracy, improve accountability and encourage more collaborative politics.
3. Londoners should be able to vote for the party or candidate they genuinely support without concern that their vote will be wasted.

This Assembly therefore calls upon:

1. The Mayor of London to support reform of local government electoral systems towards a more proportional model.
2. The Chair of the Assembly to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government setting out the Assembly's support for electoral reform, namely that legislation should be brought forward that enables a more proportional model for local authority elections in London and across England.”

The meeting can be viewed via webcast or YouTube.

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